Gate.



Patented Sept. 23, 1902'.

T. A. HILL.

GATE.

[Application filed Oct. 24, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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No. 709,543. Patented Sept. 23, I902.

T. A. HILL.

GATE.

I {Application filed Oct. 24, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Shaets-8heat 2 @v k RE a w Q 0 Na '3 hill F1555 E5. lqLlliITFUF UNITED STATES.

ATENT @FFICE.

TERELIUS ALLEN HILL, OF MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,543, datedSeptember 23, 1902.

Application filed October 24,1901. Serial No. 80,366. (No model.)

exact description of the invention, such as will I enable others skilledin the art to which it ap-.

pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

My invention relates to gates which extend across a roadway or entranceto a building or other similar passage.

The invention has reference particularly to gates which are supported atone end upon a hinge which is horizontal and perpendicular to the planeof the gate and located at one side of the passage or opening which thegate is intended to close.

The object of the improvement is to provide a simple and efficient gateembodying devices adapting the gate tobe turned upon its hinge bypulling a cord or-similar device extending perpendicularly, orsubstantially so, to the plane of the gate.

The present improvement is in some respects a modification of theimprovement set forth in my pending application, Serial No. 63,394,filed June 6, 1901.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gateembodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a detail'plan showing the sill,posts, and gate detached from the counterbalance mechanism. Figs. 3 and4 aredetails of the counterbalance-chest. Fig. 5 is a detailillustrating the manner of securing the arms which support the cordswhereby the gate is lifted. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation. Fig. 7 is a planof the gate proper, having the counterbalance-chest attached thereto.Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section on the line 8 S of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 9 is a detail illustratingthe manner of attaching the hingeshaft of the gate.

A is the gate proper. This is shown composed of the top rail A, bottomrail A, front and rear uprights A counterbalancechest B, and braces Cand D. Said gate is hinged tion' of the counterbalance-chest, and the0p-' posite end of each such brace is attached to the bottom rail A andthe rear upright A of the gate. The braces D are attached to the lowerforward portion of the counterbalancechest and pass across the braces Gand obliquely upward and toward the front of the gate and are suitablysecured to the braces O and to the gate preferably by a shaft or bolt D,extending through the braces C and D where said bases cross and to therear upright A by a shaft or bolt D extending through said braces andupright, and by a suitable fastening joining the upper ends of saidbraces 0 to the top rail A. The drawings show a middle upright A placedbe tween the top rail A and the bottom rail A with a strap or yokeextending over said top rail and over the sides of the braces D and abolt A extending horizontally through said strap, braces, and middleupright. This constitutes a simple and effective means for firmlyjoining and securing said several parts by means of the one bolt. Saidbraces O and D serve to stay the gate in two directions, in a horizontalplane and in a vertical plane, because the gate is narrower than thecounterbalance-chest, and the plane of the gate extends midway throughsaid chest, so that said braces converge from said chest toward theplane of the gate, and both pairs of said braces are oblique withreference to the horizontal lines of said gate. Saidcounterbalance-chest is shown composed of threecompartments B, B and BWhen the gate is in a horizontal position, said compartments are alinedvertically, as shown in Fig. 3, B being the uppermost and B thelowermost, and when the gate is in the upright position saidcompartments are alined horizontally, as shown in Fig. 4. Suitableapertures B extend through the walls of said chestinto compartments Band B and suitable plugs B are used for closing said apertures. Thepartition 13, which separates the compartments B" and B is locatedadjacent to the shaft 0, so that said compartments are substantiallyatopposite sides of a plane cutting the gate lengthwise and located nearand parallel to the shaft 0'. By inserting more or less sand, gravel, orany other suitable weight material through said apertures leading intothe compartments B and 13 not only can the aggregate of the weight ofsaid chest be adjusted with reference to the weight of the gate at theopposite side of the shaft 0, but the weight in each compartment may beso proportioned as to properly adjust the counterbalance at each side ofthe shaft 0 when the gate is in the upright position. in this way thecounterbalance may be readily adaptedto any peculiarity of constructionin the gate whereby the weight at the top and bottom of'the gate isvaried. This means-of adjusting the counterbalance is frequently useful.Even when a number of gates are constructed as similar as to shape andsize as possible there are differences in weight of the same'pieceswhich will require a corresponding adjustment of the upper and lowerportions of the counterbalance. For example, if the bottom rail A orother pieces at the lower portion of the gate are disproportionatelyheavy on account of the density of the wood or its absorption of water,or if in making the gate an additional piece is applied, so as toincrease the weight of the lower portion of the gate, then allowance ismade for the excessive weight by inserting into the compartment Badditional weight material until the desired approximation toequilibrium is attained. A counterbalance-chest having the compartmentsB and B is described in my application, Serial No. 63,394 aforesaid. Inthe chest herein shown the chamber B is added, and itis to contain oneor more weights b adapted to freely roll or slide when the gate isshifted. The arrangement of said compartment is such as to prevent saidweight to a considerable extent from acting as a counterbalance. Inother words, said compartment is inclined, the rear end being near aline extending lengthwise through the gate and through the hinge of thelatter, while the forward end of said compartment is near a line atright angles to said last-mentioned lineandextendingthroughsaid shaft.Thus the weight in said compartment B is aproximately beneath the hingeof the gate, whether the gate is in the horizontal or the verticalposition. The function of said weight or weights is to aid in arrestingthe movement of the gate when it reaches or approaches its limit ofmovement. Suppose the weight b is in the position shown in Fig. 3 andthe gate is put into motion to move to the upright position. Then-theweight b will travel toward the left in said compartment, and saidmovement will be accelerated as the position of the counterbalance-chestshown in Fig. 4 is approached. When said position is attained, themovement of the gate should cease, and at such time or a little earliersaid weight strikes what is then the lower wall of said chest and tendsto counteract the upward movement of that portion of said chest. Whenthe gate is turned from the upright toward the horizontal position, themovement and action of said weight are in the reverse direction. It willbe observed that while said weight is moving from one end of saidcompartment to the other it exerts relatively small influence upon saidchest, the Weight in the compartments B and B being the main factors inlifting the gate.

The braces O and D are preferably detachably secured to the gate andalso to the counterbalance-chest and to each other, to the'end that thestructure may be readily separated and the parts crated for shipment inknockdown form and in order that my improvement may be readily andeconomically applied to ordinary hinged gates already constructed.

E is a sill extending horizontally beneath and parallel to the gateproper. The function of said sill is to form means, either exclusive ofor supplemental to the ground, for securing the posts F, F, F and F Itis to be understood that said sill may be omitted and the several postsmentioned set into the ground. As the posts F F are usually set fartherapart than the width needed for the sill E, a cross-sill E may beapplied to said sill Eas a means of attachment for the lower ends ofsaid posts. The posts F and F at the same side of the sill E and thegate converge as they rise until their upper ends meet, where they arefirmly joined by a bolt F. Said posts F F (and also the posts F F) areseparated suff ciently at the top to make room for the passage of thegate, as will be hereinafter described, and said posts F F (and also theposts F F) preferably diverge from the bottom toward the top, becausegreater stability is attained when the posts F F, shaft 0, andcross-sill E do not form a parallelogram.

Two arms Hare used for supporting the cords G, one of said arms beingplaced at each side of the gate between the adjacent post-s F and F andhinged (so as to permit horizontal movement, as hereinafter described)on the shaftf, which extends horizontally through said posts. A guy-wireor similar brace H extends from the upper ends of the posts F and F tothe other end of the adjacent arm H, and a similar guy wire or brace Hextends from approximately the same point on said posts to a pointapproximately at the middle of said arm. The object in using suchguy-wires is to support the outer end and the middle of said arm inorder that said arm may be made of lighter material and yet bemaintained in the horizontal position. Two pulleys H are secured at theupper ends of each pair of posts F F,

i the gate is in the horizontal position.

and one such pulley I-I is secured at the outer end of each arm H. Saidpulleys serve as guides for the cords G. Said guy-wires H and H preventsaid arms II from turning downward with the shaftfas a hinge; but saidarm is preferably arranged for horizontal movement upon a pivotal pointon or adjacent to said shaft. This is accomplished by making said armnarrower than the space between the posts F and F at that elevation,extending said arm over said shaft f, and extending a staple f aroundsaid shaft and into said arm, as shown in detail in Fig. 5.

It has been found difiicult to so secure the posts F and F as to causethem to maintain theirproper positions. My improvement embodies aneffective method of connecting the said posts located at one side of thegate with those located at the other side of the gate. A bar 1,extending horizontally from one post F to the other, constitutes such acon nection. If the braces O and D were parallel,

or approximately so,to each other, the uppermost of said braces wouldcome into contact with said bar before the gate could attain thevertical position; but by placing said braces in the oblique positionsand across each other,

as shown, they not only constitute a simple, strong, and efficient meansfor joining the gate to the counterbalance-chest and for.join-' ing tothe posts F, but they also avoid said bar Iwhen the gate is in theupright position. Said bar also serves to engage the latch-bar J forlocking the gate in the upright position.

The lower end of said latch-bar is hinged to the lower portion of thegate adjacent to the counterbalance chest. When the gate is raised, saidlatch-bar falls by gravity toward and upon said bar I and slides upwardand rearward upon said bar until the shoulder J of said latch-bar fallsdown behind the bar I.

The several parts are so arranged and adj usted that this will occurwhen the gate attains approximately the vertical position. At the end ofsaid gate opposite its hinge there are one' upright post F and twooblique posts F one located at each side of the gate and having itsupper end extending along the side of the upper end of the post- F andsuitably joined to the latter. Said posts F F stay the gate againstlateral movement. A yoke K is located between the posts F and theadjacent upright A of the gate, said yoke extending along each side ofsaid upright and being attached to the latter and inclosing a spacetoward the post F In said space is seated an upright latch L, suitablyhinged at its lower end by a shaft L, extending horizontally throughsaid yoke and latch. A suitable shoulder L extends from the post Ftoward the gate. Said latch extends upward sufficiently to bear againstsaid shoulder when Asuitable spring L may be interposed between theupper portion of said latch and the adjacent upright A to normally holdthe upper end of said latch far enough away from said upright to causesaid latch to extend beneath said shoulder. A cord M extends fromtheupper portion of said latch to each cord G, said cords M and G beingunited at M. Each cord G extends from the upper end of the latchbarJupward over the forward pulley Hi and from the latter around the pulleyH, and thence to the rearward pulley H and thence downward to a pointnear the lower rearinost corner of the gate, preferably the boltextending through said braces O and the rear upright A where said cordis attached. The

cord M is made so short as to draw the cord G slightly toward the frontof the gate when the latter is in the horizontal position, to the endthat the cord M may be drawn sufficiently to release the latch L fromthe shoulder L before the cord G draws upward on the gate. The cord Gmay be left sufficiently slack to permit the portion between the pulleyH and the forward pulley H to depend within reach of a personapproaching the gate. When the gate is closed, said depending portion ofthe cord G is drawn toward the gate, whereby the portion of said cordattached to the cord M and the lower portion of the gate is drawnupward. When the gate is to be closed, said depending portion of saidcord G is drawn away from the gate. Such movement of said cord firstlifts the latch-bar J out of engage ment with the bar I and then causessaid latch-bar to bear against said gate and turn the latter downward. Acord G may be attached to said depending portion of said cord G and madeof convenient length for grasping by the person who is to operate thegate.

Wire braces N are attached at each lower forward corner of thecounterbalancechest and extend thence obliquely upward to the frontupper corner of the gate, where they are securely attached, preferablyto the upper portion of the upright A Said wires are preferably crossedbetween the latch-bar J and the counterbalance-chest, so that said wireswill form a rest for limiting the rearward movement of said bar. Anotherpair of Wire braces O extend from the upper end of thecounterbalance-chest obliquely downward and forward over the barI to thelower front corner of the gate. By carrying said braces 0 over the bar Isaid bar will not be in the path of said wireswhen the gate is opened orclosed. Said braces serve to impart additional rigidity to the gatestructure.

P, Figs. 1, 2, and 6, is a stop for limiting the rearward movement ofthe gate. This is in the form of a V-shaped yoke extending horizontallyrearward from the upper ends of the posts F F. .I have found that a stoplocated at the elevation shown is important in gates of this type. Byplacing such a stop as high as possible'above the hinge of the gatestrain on the latter and the portions of the gate adjacent to said hingeis obviated. In practice I have found that well-constructed gates willbreak when the momentum of the gate when moving rearward is arrested bycontact with a stop near the hinge of the gate.

The yoke K, which serves as a support for the latch L, serves also as abuffer for the protection of said latch. If the gate should veersidewlse while descending, said yoke, and not the latch, will strike thepost F at the side to which the gate is veered.

The upright A may be divided lengthwise and in the plane of the gate toform two parts a to stand at each side of wires a when the latter areused to fill the space between the top and bottom rails of the gate.This is a convenient construction to use in new gates, and it isspecially adapted to use when my improvement is to be applied to oldgates which have been hinged or otherwise supported.

Fig. 9 illustrates in detail a convenient means for attaching thehinge-shaft G to the posts F. To the inner face of each post is applieda plate Q, having one end upturned and provided with an aperture Q,which receives the end of the shaft 0. Said plates may be readilysecured to the posts by means of screws or bolts, and their position maybe readily varied for the proper adjustment of said shaft.

I claim as my invention 1. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge andhaving a counterbalance and oblique braces, O and D, crossing each otherand having their ends joined to said counterbalance and the gate,substantially as described.

2. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge and having a counterbalanceand oblique braces, O and D, crossing each other and having their rearends joined to said counterbalance and having their forward ends joinedto the top and bottom rails of the gate, substantially as described.

3. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge and having a counterbalanceand oblique braces, O and D, crossing each other and joined to eachother where they cross and having their ends joined to saidcounterbalance and the gate, substantially as described.

4. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge and having a counterbalanceand oblique braces, C and D, crossing each other and joined to eachother where they cross, and having their rear ends joined to saidcounterbalance and their forward ends to the top and bottom rails,substantially as described.

5. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge and having a counterbalanceand oblique braces, O and D, crossing each other and having their rearends joined to said counterbalance and having the portions forward ofthe point of crossing joined to the rear upright and the top and bottomrails, substantially as described.

6. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge and having a counterbalanceand oblique braces, O and D, crossing each other and joined to eachother where they cross and having their rear ends joined to saidcounterbalance and having the portions forward of the point of crossingjoined to the rear upright and the top and bottom rails, substantiallyas described.

7. In a gate, the combination with the gateframe, of a counterbalance,and two pairs of braces extending obliquely from said counterbalance tosaid gate-frame and crossing each other, and a horizontal hinge-shaftextending through two of said braces, substantially as described.

8. In a gate, the combination with the gateframe, of a counterbalance,and two pairs of braces extending obliquely from said counterbalance tosaid gate-frame and crossing each other, a horizontal hinge-shaftextending through two of said braces, two posts, one located at eachside of the gate and supporting said shaft, and a bar, I, connectingsaid posts above said braces, substantially as described.

9. The combination withagate-frame,countel-balance, and bracesconnecting said counterbalance and frame, posts, F, and a bar, I,connecting said posts, of a latch-bar adapted to engage said bar and tohold said gate in the upright position, substantially as described.

10. The combination with agate-frame and posts to which said gate ishinged, of a latchbar hinged to said gate-frame, and a member suitablysecured to said posts for making ongagement with said latch-bar when thegate is in the upright position, substantially as described.

11. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge and having acounterbalance-chest comprising two compartments which are at oppositesides of a plane cutting said gate lengthwise and near which said hingelies, and a third compartment adapted to receive a freely-shiftingweight, substantially as described.

12. A gate supported on a horizontal hinge and having acounterbalance-chest comprising two compartments which are at oppositesides of a plane cutting said gate lengthwise and near which said hingelies, and a third compartment having its ends adjacent to vertical linesextending through the hinge of the gate when the latter is opened orclosed, substantially as described. I

13. In a gate, the combination of the posts, F and F, shaft,f, arm, H,an operating-cord, staple, f, and a guy, substantially as described. 4

14. In a gate, the combination of the posts, F and F, arm, H, suitablyhinged to said posts, and two guys, both joined to said posts, and onejoined to the outer end of said arm and the other near the middle of thelatter, and an operating-cord, substantially as described.

15. The combination with a gate supported on a horizontal hinge, of alatch-bar secured vertically to the rear end of said gate and arrangedto bear against the rear end of the latter when the latch has beenreleased, and

a cord attached to said latch-bar and arranged for lifting the latterwhereby the gate is released and turned from the upright position,substantially as described.

16. The combination with the gate-frame and latch-bar secured to therear portion of said frame, posts, F and F, arm, H, and suitable pulleyssecured upon the outer end of said arm and upon said posts, of a cordextending from the rear portion of said gate upward and over a pulley onsaid posts, thence around the pulley on the outer end of said arm,thence over a pulley on said posts, and thence downward to saidlatch-bar, substantially as described.

17. In a gate, the combination with two posts, one standing at each sideof the gate, of plates, Q, attached to the inner faces of said posts andhaving upturned ends having apertures, Q, substantially as described.

18. The combination with a gate-frame having a latch mounted thereon ateach end, of posts and a cord-supporting arm, and duplex cords eachextending from the outer end of said arm, one to one and the other tothe other of said latches, substantially as described.

19. In agate, the combination with the gateframe, counterbalance, andtwo pairs of rigid braces crossing each other and joined by their endsto said frame and said counterbalance,

of a pair of wire braces, N, joined to the lower portion of saidcounterbalance and to the upper, outer portion of said frame,substantially as described.

20. In a gate, the combination with a frame and counterbalance, and twopairs of rigid braces crossing each other and joined by their ends tosaid counterbalance and frame, of a wire brace extending from the upperportion of said counterbalance to the lower forward corner of saidframe, substantially as described.

21. In a gate, the combination with a gateframe, a counterbalance, twopairs of oblique braces joining said counterbalance and frame, posts, F,F, supporting said gate, and a bar, I, connecting said posts above saidbraces, of a wire brace extending from the upper portion of saidcounterbalance over said bar, I, to the lower forward corner of thegate-frame, substantially as described.

22. In a gate, the combination with a frame and counterbalance, and apair of braces rigidly joining said counterbalance and frame, of a pairof wire braces joined to the front of the gate and extending alongopposite sides of the latter and crossed between the gate frame andcounterbalance and then attached to the counterbalance, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 21st day of October, in the year 1901.

TERELIUS ALLEN HILL.

Vitnesses:

H. T. GAY,

A. MELRoW.

